(The Center Square) – The Office of the Attorney General of Texas reached a settlement with Walmart for $168 million because of the company’s negligent practices contributing to the nationwide opioid crisis.
“The agreement will resolve claims by the State of Texas and its Political Subdivisions against Walmart for the company’s practices that exacerbated the opioid epidemic in the state of Texas and across the nation,” according to a July 19 news release. “The settlement terms contain injunctive relief provisions pertaining to opioid marketing, selling, and dispensing practices, from which the key claims in the lawsuit arose.”
Local governments and county governments in the Texas Opioids Multidistrict Litigation are encouraged to sign on to the settlement to ensure that Texas citizens and entities may receive all benefits and opioid remediation funds owed to them, according to the news release.
Subdivisions that join the settlement will receive direct payment in the form of opioid abatement funding from the Texas Opioid Council.
Earlier this month, the OAG reached a $5 billion multistate settlement, $300 million designated for Texas, with CVS for the company’s role in the national opioid epidemic. In May, $340 million was secured for Texas because of Walgreens’ role concerning the same epidemic.
The OAG’s litigation has secured more than $2.91 billion for Texas from many pharmaceutical companies.
The deadline to sign onto and receive the benefits from the settlement is July 31.
